Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Postigo corner General Luna, Intramuros, Manila
December 8 is the feast day of the Immaculate Conception. IC the patroness of the seat of the Archdiocese of Manila, and also of the entire Philippine Archipelago. It’s a big day usually for Catholic schools but I’m not sure if there are entire towns that celebrate this day. Unlike other major Catholic or religious holidays, this celebration isn’t considered a national holiday.
We have very few religious national holidays- Christmas- season starts, as they say, as early as September, decoration starts after halloween, Holy Friday to Easter Sunday- the commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and Eid ul-Fitr, festivity at the end of Ramadan. The Christian holidays have been observed for ages, as the Philippines contains a Christian majority. Eid ul-Fitr is a Muslim holiday. Its celebration had only been enacted into law as a national holiday in 2002, in recognizing the other major religion of the nation which is Islam, and for better understanding among Filipinos.
